Is Lady Luck The Key To Building Aston Villa’s Confidence?
Well, that made a change. As Monday starts, we’ve had the less-than-familiar feeling of looking back on an Aston Villa win. The 2-1 win against West Ham United may not have been one to be lauded to our children and grandchildren in the future, but it was just the tonic that was needed.
After all, we have had numerous experiences in recent times where Villa have let leads slip, only to find ourselves cursing at how three points became one, with the matches against Everton and West Bromwich Albion still fresh in our minds.
In the last minutes, as whistles rang out across the ground, there was a palpable sense of panic amongst our fans. Referee Mark Clattenburg had, if I am honest, been favourable to Villa with both goals coming from calls given their scoring from set plays.
Those last minutes were not ones I’d want to repeat in a hurry, especially if Villa’s form leaves them close to danger come the end of the season. Whilst few can argue that situations such as those get the heart racing, I doubt many of us would want to consider the possibility that our last game of the season, away to fellow strugglers Wigan Athletic, could be the difference between staying up and going down.
Of course, that possibility is far from a certainty, though form does seem to dictate that Villa will be close to the wrong end of the table come the end of the season. However, this is far from a certainty, and the fact that a mere six points separate us from our opponents on Sunday in 11th illustrates just how tight the league has become.
Paul Lambert spoke on Friday about the need to look at winning six of the remaining games in order to guarantee our survival. The win against West Ham is a step towards that, though I wouldn’t suggest we need to aim to just win five games, rather we have to do our best in all of them.
That may sound like a fairly obvious statement, but Villa have the potential to make things happen, and the talent to be able to pull away from the drop zone. Whether that potential is realised, however, is far from a certainty.
Looking back on Saturday, there were positives. Whilst the game was scrappy with neither team showing dominance, there was attacking threat available and, as probability dictates, more attacking means more (potential) goals.
The issues that need to be ironed out are in the defensive areas though. Nathan Baker took his role on the left and imposed himself, ending up bloodied as a result of a clash of heads with Andy Carroll. However, his performance wasn’t much more than average in my opinion.
In the middle, Ciaran Clark appeared to start brightly, presumably buoyed by his performance with Ireland earlier that week, though his confidence again seemed to dip, resorting to what has become a routine of shirt pulling in desperate defending situations.
What matters for Villa as they get into the final twelves games is whether their issues are fixable, and whether they can use something of their expertise, size, or other abilities in order to survive.
Truth be told, Villa are by far the biggest club mired in the relegation battle, though this doesn’t mean anything in itself. Wigan, comparative experts at facing relegation issues, are close by as are Reading. Other clubs can, and may well, be drawn into issues though one imagines that at least one of Reading or Wigan will finish below us come the end of the season.
In addition to the aforementioned duo, it seems that Queens Park Rangers will form part of the bottom three come the end of the season. Whilst Harry Redknapp has earned something of a reputation as a magic worker, owner Tony Fernandes’ “commitment” to player turnover does seem likely to contribute to their downfall.
After all, QPR have brought in double figure numbers of players over the past few seasons, and many of these players have smacked of short term fixes, and expensive ones at that.
By comparison, Villa are both young and inexpensive. I almost said “cheap”, though I don’t feel it fair to tar the team with that brush as cheap has a particular connotation to it that I don’t think is a true representation of the current squad.
Sure, Villa’s team are inexperienced and, in many cases, have cost less money than had been lavished in earlier years, but they have potential. Whether that potential is realised, as mentioned above, is likely to be the key to if the club from Birmingham are operating in the Premier League next season or the Championship.
Based on the weekend, it could go either way, though the swing of luck’s pendulum may be the hair’s breadth that gives Villa a boost to get out of the mess.
The next few games will be challenging though with many fans predicting nothing, the lack of pressure may well be liberating in itself. Pull something out of the bag in the next few games and the belief may be back for good.
Till then, enjoy the win – I have and will continue to do so.
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Matt,
Its strange how opinions differ when watching the same game, i thought Baker was one of our best players considering he is being played out of position, many times he found himself challenging Carroll and i thought he did well, what would have been the outcome if Bennett would have been at left back.
You thought Bowery did well where i thought he looked well out of his depth and should not have been risked in a game of high importance but there you go we all see things differently.
I think the key to us surviving will be the form of Benteke and CNZ , we need that touch of class to make a difference in games, we all know the centre of midfield is weak and will not create much so we will need the players in front of them to turn the game.
Its just nice to wake up on a Monday morning with three points and long may it continue, i don”t care if we play another 12 ugly games as long as we are in this division next season,
just one last thing i thought the fans in VP yesterday were magnificent and really drove the team to that win.
UTV
I’m with you southwest!
Baker looked good. Not great but solid and I was happy with his performance. Bowery gave away possession far too cheaply, he didn’t have a shocker and made some good contributions. But on the whole I thought we looked out of his depth.
Lots of positives, very happy to have got the win. Hoping the defence gain confidence and show more resolve until the end of the season. With Westwood and Delph in form and the attacking threat of Zoggy, Tekkers, Gabby, and Weimann; we really should have enough to get ourselves out the s**t. Hopefully long before the Wigan game.
Fatpigallardyce is talking s**t. We weren’t great but we deserved 3 points.
Hello.
Thanks for the leader, Matt.
I cherish a Villa win so much, I’ve watched the highlights three times.
Yesterday’s match proved that N’Zogbia, Benteke and Bent can complement one another. Bent, for instance, laid the ball back to Benteke, who gave it to N’Zogbia leading up to the penalty. Bent was getting back in defence, and saved a goal for us. All three of them were up for that game.
Even Bowery cleared the ball usefully early on in the match, his height is useful against a team like WHU. I also thought initially that his inclusion was odd, but given the fact that Gabby was out sick and PL wanted a Benteke/Weimann combination up front, it isn’t so strange he was selected on the wing. He’ll only improve because he’s teachable and athletic. He won’t be taking Gabby’s place for a while provided that Gabby is fit and maintains his recent form.
Gabby doesn’t score a lot of goals, but he’s fast, really fast and can win a game for Villa. Perhaps, most importantly, other teams know what he can do, gives them something to think about. If we can field an in form Bent, Benteke, N’Zogbia and Gabby, all of them at the same time, other teams will be in trouble. That’s only if BBNZG are all in form.
Trinity,
Spot on mate most teams in the prem would love that foursome if only we could find a way to play them all together, lets be honest if that lot had hit form and played all season there is no way we would be in this mess.
UTV
I think Bowery is one of those players that would be useful if we got relegated but of absolutely no use in The Premiership.
Baker is not the answer at left back in the long term but he is the best solution currently due to our shortcomings on set pieces.
How wonderfully refreshing it was to score from a set piece and to not condede from one. Against Allardyce. Freakish!
N’Zogbia and Benteke will get us out of this mess if we can stay solid at the back. No clean sheet but West Ham’s goal was flukey.
Great to see Clark pick himself up after a few ropey performances. Yes he has a long way to go before he is the finished article but I think he will be much better next season.
I would happily take the stress of the closing minutes as long as it it followed by the joy of win.
Look we’ve got what we wanted… blood, sweat and tears… players wearing the shirt with pride.
Now we have the ethos it’s time to start building on the quality… yes we want quality but we want quality that gives a s**t.
3pts is all that matters, at this point in the season its not how we win it that we win that is important.
As for the performances yesterday everyone put in a shift… everyone worked hard for each other… on that front we can not criticise.
Bowery looks like he’s playing a level above his ability. But he was in or around their area when we attacked and our area when they attacked. He did his job off the ball and got up and down and put him self about. He didn;t touch the ball much but he hit a few WHU players.
Was impressed with Delph yesterday and think their is a real case now to play Westwood and Delph with Sylla anchoring them… if he is up to the grade… but from his brief shows he looks to have enough on the ball and the build to be a pest… however we still have much to learn about him. Delph though had some real good moments… it’s a start, but for the first time in a Villa shirt i saw that young lad that was at Leeds… running past people and making space in the middle of the park.
Clark had a big game, Vlaar is becoming a lump I hoped he would and Baker… well I thoughts the tweet “Baker turned Butcher” was most apt… He gave Carroll as good as he got and came out on top… He is not a FB get off his case! Wenger would love a young defender like Baker… he will train on and and become a top CB IMO.
Benteke… Benteke… Benteke… he may want off at the end of the season but I get the feeling if we stay up he is going to be told he’s staying… and probably give him a pay rise to appease him… Awesome… I’ll tell you now this £20m figure being banded around is way too low! He is quality… and will only get better and better.
Andi.. bad miss but still an important player for us.
Dawkins… seems full of running… looks like the new Gareth Bale to me… #dive
The defence looks a lot more comfortable in the flat 4 and with a bit more protection from runner in midfield I think we’ll start to plug the gaps and become much tighter.
With a 433 Benteke flanked and a midfield 3 of Westwood, Delph and Sylla I think we can protect our defence far better and also provide Benteke and co with the chance to do what they do best…
I save my final word for Zoggy… finally it seems the lad has arrived from Wigan… Boom… keep that form up and we’ll stay up.
Droyd… anyone slating Clark just needs to look at Tomkins at WHU… his first full season was ropey… and he improved hugely from the experience.
Graham – Yep. Give me Clark over Tomkins any day of the week.
I agree that the midfield trio of Sylla, Westwood and Delph could be the way forwards. They are 3 very different players that have the potential to give us a balanced looking midfield. We have to go back to the days of Gareth Barry to see the last settled, balanced Aston Villa midfield.
Big question marks as to whether Sylla is going to be good enough or not but he is the right “type” of player we have needed so badly.
I hope Saturday was a big turning point. Once Gabby and KEA are over their bug we have pretty much a full strength squad which is massive. Dunne is the only worry.
I think you’re right Matt in the fact that had we had a bit more luck we could have been sitting mid table. But you make your own luck and that what experience does, you put it down to bad luck and move on trying to rectify the situation rather than letting it affect you. But with inexperience it dwells on you and sometimes bad mistakes lead to bad luck and goals, stuff that can be easily cut out if you deal with the fragile mentality. We all saw how that miss affected Weiman yesterday.
It wasnt a great performance as a neutral but thats understandable given the situation, Im just glad we found the win in the end. Nzogbia, Bent and Benteke combined for the penalty and the free kick. Im with Trinity on this, if we find a way of getting them and Gabby all in the team we will have a great chance of staying up. Could be a 442 with Gabby and Nzog wide or a variant 4411 / 4231 with Bentek in the off the front role. Bent is better on the last defender looking for the space in behind. When he came on yest he didnt do too much (cept for that goal line clearance!) but he was a threat with his movement and you can see West Ham were wary of that and that meant more defenders occupied meaning more space for our attackers. This is where I think our goal came from.
Benteke can play that off the front role in a sense that he can control the ball, hold it up and pop it off then look to get forward and we all know he can produce moments of magic too.
I though Clark had a great game yesterday and Im pleased for him given the amount of stick he has got over the last few games. I still think hes a good defender if he keeps his head. Baker added that physical presence we needed at set pieces thats why he was in ahead of Bennet imo, he did what he was supposed to do. Delph had a good game, bit hit and miss with the touch, footballing intelligence and rash tackles, but he is 100% committed and up for the fight and is capable of good things. You can tell that he’s stronger the more he plays. All in all great result and things to be optimistic about.
Baker was very good yesterday, headed everything
We got the desperately needed 3 points but we could still easily go down. we will probably lose our next 2 whilst everyone else picks up points
if QPR and then reading both beat us then its probably game over
if we beat those two though we give our selfs a great chance. fulham away from home are s**te as well but that means nothing with villa
MORNING Lifers
A weird experience,Villa winning a football match,but it feels good.
Who is that new fella we signed,Charles something?Has he been kept in a locked cupboard at BMH?
Winning ugly?Long may it continue,if it`s beauty versus the beast then give me the beast if it yields points.Beauty can wait.
Please passs the sick bucket.The meeeedjah are wetting themselves because their darlings Lpool are giving their shirts sponsor over to a charity for ONE match.I think it`s been done before hasn`t it?For 2 whole seasons if I recall.
Its good that we got this win going into a break of PL matches. Means we can work on things in the training ground a lil bit more relaxed and hopefully gear everything up to that arsenal game. Not really expecting much out of that game but its those games that sometimes get you a result. Arsenal have 2 games before the play us and we have none, including a Champions league game against Bayern Munich in midweek before we play them.
Iv been looking at the next 3 games and we have Arse away, City at home and Reading away. Not expecting much from the first two although City are in a bad way atm and if it stays like that and we get the luck Southampton did, we can get a result. Reading away is huge, its a game we really cant afford to lose if we want to stay up. A win is massive but we cant afford to lose. Id take 2 points from them 3 fixtures as long as one of those was at Reading. Better still Id take 3 points as long as the win was at Reading!
Reading have some huge games coming up, Wigan at home, Everton away and us at home. If they win the 2 games at home you would say they are favourites to escape relegation.
Wigan are in trouble, Reading away, Liverpool at home and Man City away is a tough bunch of fixtures and they need at least a win out of them 3.
QPR are almost down they need a miracle of Wigan/Portsmouth standards unless they pick up some points quick. Man U at home, Southmapton away is a huge game then Sunderland at home, you would say they need 6 points to give themselves a decent chance.
Southampton have done much better than I expected after they sacked Adkins, the new guy has settled in well despite the language barrier etc. They are still picking up points and have survival firmly in their own hands. Newcastle away is a huge game up next, then QPR at home another huge game and Norwich away. If they pick up points like they have been they will be ok, but if they lose their next 2 then they will be right back in it.
Newcastle like Southampton have survival in their own hands, sitting on the same amount of points (27 – 3 more than us), next game against Southampton at home is huge. After that Swansea away and Stoke at home they have an opportunity to pick up points.
These are our main relegation rivals but I think more teams can be dragged in all the way to West Ham sitting in 11th on 30 points. Fulham, Sunderland and Norwich all have 29 points, they should be safe but could get dragged into it if they lose a few on the bounce. Fulham have Stoke at home, Sunderland away and Chelsea at home. Sunderland have West Brom at home, Fulham away and QPR away. Norwich have Everton at home, Man U away then Southampton away. I think theyre most susceptible, it does help us to have others dragged into the fight.
Soz about the long post got a bit carried away! I started so I had to finish!
Ree
Thanks for pissing on my chips,another international weekend and no Villa match?
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.
Those pampered slobs are dragging their over paid arses onto the international arena and we have no footy,so frustrating
I thought Clark was our man of the match yesterday. Baker looked a far better option at LB than either Bennett, Lichaj or Stevens, he adds a bit of height to the team as well.
I’m still not happy with central midfield as a pairing of Westwood and Delph doesn’t give enough protection to the back four in my opinion. I was hoping to see Sylla get more of a game. I’d also play Herd, when fit, ahead of any of them as a defensive midfielder.
Does anybody know how Sam Allardyce manages to have a face bigger than his head?
I would also agree with Southwestvillan that Bowery is totally out of his depth in the Premier League. His inclusion also meant Weimann was pushed wide left instead of right where he is more effective.
In terms of points total, we need 4 wins and 2 draws to get to that 38 point mark. Might need more to survive depending on how the other do. Out of our home games QPR, Fulham and Sunderland would be the ones that are earmarked for 3 points. That puts a lot of pressure on those games tho and it rarely works out the way you intend so I dont think we would get 9 points from these fixtures. So i do think we need a win out of Man city, Liverpool, Chelsea at home.
Out of the away fixtures the easier fixtures on paper are Reading, Stoke, Norwich and Wigan on the last day. Although Reading and Wigan will not be easy fixtures esp if Wigan need something on the last day. I hope we go into that game already safe but it doesnt look like it. At least we need our destiny in our own hands. If we can get 2 wins out of those fixtures it would be immense, or at least 1 win and draws against our rivals. The other away fixtures are Arsenal and Man U if we get 1 point out of that id be more than happy.
There is no easy way to safety, but if we get some unexpected wins/results which we are capable of then it would make things a lot easier. To be honest we are really in the hands of the football gods. Still 50-50 imo.
No B6 its FA cup wkend, Arsenal are playing Blackburn at home and we got knocked out by the mighty Millwall so no pissing on chips or empenadas or churrascos or whatever else you eat in Brazil.
Plus I think the break would do us good.
Or your passion fruit caipirinhas.
Thanks Ree for telling me about the cup,and for not pissing on my pastels.
I want to see this 451/433 formation for the rest of the season…
That defence should stay the same from now until the end of the season with Herd deputising across the the line…
We should be wrapping Benteke in cotton wool and just carry on feeding Zoggy what ever he’s been eating recently….
As people have said above though it would be interesting to see
Sylla Delph
Gabby Benteke N’Zogbia
Bent
However I doubt very much we will see it from the off….
I agree Benteke could do the role and probably be more of an influence on the team, but for me I’d rather see Sylla, Westwood and Delph in front of a back 4 and Zoggy, Gabby and Weimann competing for two spots flanking Benteke…
More of the same please…
Bowery seems to be getting harsh comments imo, was that his 1st start for us in a relegation 6 pointer? Done his job well and will reserve judgement until i have seen him play more games.
Bent has to be starting from now on. It would be like having a new signing and he could easily net 6 or 7 goals in the last games. Baker has to remain at lb, a massive help at set pieces. Really not sure what to make of Westwood, i dont know what he really does? I think Delph has to play further up the pitch as he is so much better there than in front of back 4. With Sylla sitting and delph roaming i think thats what id like to see.
Guzan
Lowton Vlaar Clarke Baker
Godsylla Delph
Nzog Gabby
Bent Benteke 4222
Hi Matt n all
I think we will make our own luck and that is down to hard work and determination after that the rest will follow.
Delph was our most important player imo he really drove the midfield and while not a perfect performance he gave us the energy we have so missed in the middle – they guy was everywhere.
Well done all the lads
Clark and Baker were also excellent
Id say depends on the opposition Graham. For Arsenal away / City at home I wouldnt play Bent, stick to a 433/451 like you described. But for QPR at home games against rivals I would def play Bent for the added attacking impetus. Shame that Lambert doesnt rate him, for me at least you could clearly see the game dynamic changed when he came on as a substitute. Hopefully Lambert saw that and took note.
sorry Lowton too was great
I think that Bent loves playing against arsenal or was that ash young?
I didn’t get the Bowery thing, aint he supposed to be a striker? He was played wide right, didnt look like he had much pace or skill. He tried hard and got in some decent positions in the box at times but at the start I could not believe he was picked in the lineup ahead of Bent. Maybe he was a late substituion for Gabby and he didnt feel Bent could play that role and he didnt want to change his system. Whatever it was it didnt work in the first half, only worked when he made the changes. At that time West Ham were pushing up too so we had more space than the first half I guess but still it was puzzling to me.
Westwood has played well for us this season, he didnt have the best game and was overshadowed by Delph but he is that kinda player that does not need the glory, he will get on with his job. You only realise his importance when he aint there kinda like Barry and Petrov.
Anyone else thought Dawkins had a decent cameo? Looks to have a decent touch and can run at players. Might be a decent option off the bench in the future.
Bowery is deffo a hold up striker and looked very promising for the reserves up top – clearly he is not suited to a wing role and the poor lad struggled yesterday but played his heart out all the same
Why all of a sudden should bent be starting ?? Scoring isn’t really a problem and its like playing with 10 men with him. No pace, no link up play and very lazy
Wieman and benteke up top it should be. Both good all round players and work hard. Zoggy out wide left.
CM is our main problem. Is like to see sylia and delph start
We aren’t safe yet. We need to beat qpr, sunderland, fulham and reading, if we Do, we will survive
Hello Matt,
It’s nice to see Delph getting a positive response today, i always liked him but to be honest i’d reached the point where i’d given up on him. I’m not saying he’s the finished article but if he keeps on improving and avoids these niggling injuries then he can be an asset.
The same applies to Clark.
Baker could develop into a top CD in my opinion, i always though he was a bit weedy for a big lad but now he does what a CD should do.
Regarding Bowery, he’s raw but he gave 100%, you can’t ask for more, he may or may not develop into a useful player, lets see.
Lets hope Lamberts ego doesn’t take over again and he doesn’t meddle to much.
Steamer,
Delph is a player that frustrates the hell out of people, some of his first touches yesterday were awful and the ball would squirt about 10 yards away from him, and then he pops up to make an important challenge and goes on a mazy little run, next he miscontrols the ball and you want to strangle him.
Cannot fault Bowerys effort or anyone elses for that matter but i just felt we should not be throwing a player who was not ready for this type of game, lets be fair we could have drawn the game come the last eight minutes.
Even the pope cannot believe we managed to win its just about done him in.
UTV
Frem Bent should start, selected games at least, because:
1) Give him a chance he will finish it as he has proven throughout his career.
2) He is a threat to the opposition, by merely being on the pitch he creates extra space for other attackers
3) His positioning/movement is good.
For a team in our position to be leaving a potential matchwinner on the bench time and time again behind inexperienced youngsters is a joke imo. Yeh you can throw some counter arguments like he’s lazy, he doesnt work for the team that doesnt wash with me. Its up to Lambert to get the best out of him but it seems like Lambert just wants rid. To say he has no pace is just not true. Granted link up play is not his forte but it never has been. Weimann imo is a quality young player, but you saw what happened yesterday, he missed one chance and his head dropped. He was nowhere to be seen for the rest of the match. Do you think Bent wuda missed that? Do you think he wuda reacted like that if he missed? No he wuda got on with it and prolly scored the next one that came his way. We need big game players for this run in and Bent is one.
The importance of that win cannot be underestimated , the Rot has been stopped and afew days off for the players to bond more as a group.
In short thought Baker was great , he dose not offer much going forward but what he dose is make us solid which is what we have lacked. Bowery first touch looked awful he tried hard tho, easily in my opinion Weimann’s worst game in a long time the early miss seemed to affect him badly.
As stated by some we have match winners in the team that can in a moment make something happen, if the rest can do the horse work and limit the individual errors we’ll be fine. QPR look gone.
Steamer
I,too have flown the flag for Delph,but yes,he is frustrating,maybe he can start delivering and become a 7 out of ten player every week.
SWV
The Pope had to step down,after 3 miracles at VP yesterday.We got a penalty.we didn`t concede from a corner and we scored from a set play.He`s done is bit for us therefore it`s all over for him.
Mind you JC Goebells and Fergie will be tring their best to put a word in for McShambles to get the job.
You know the economy is bad when God starts laying people off…
B62B,
We defended 10 corners and a couple of free kicks in very dangerous areas without conceding, i noticed we were focusing more on the ball than watching the movement of their players, so lessons learnt by the looks, i am looking forward to a free weekend without the stress of watching us cling on for a result, take the lads for a team bonding session in Canon Hill park, put Bannan on the slide just generally have a good time maybe go to McYdys after for a happy meal.
UTV
Bannan is out with an alleged injury but he is really auditioning for the new Snow White movie.
Droyd,very good.
SWV
i think great credit should go to Big Brad too.I never judge a keeper by the spectacular,they can all do that,it`s the bread and butter stuff he does well.Blocks with legs,angles and starting position.I read he domimnated the box yesterday.As an ex(cr*p)defender myself that is very reassuring.
Brads reaction at the final whistle was brilliant. Frem re Bent. I have a feeling if we played him now it would be like a new signing, he must be chomping at the bit for a game. If after 2 games he is doing nothing fair enough but he is worth a start from now on. as mention above, zog, benteke, gab, bent should be amaaazing. all offer something different
B6B,
I can’t think of a better keeper than Guzan in the EPL, thank God he’s on a longer contract after his return or he’d join Benteke and Weimann in saying adios.
Thanks everyone for the comments – will get on in a bit and respond but have been tied up today with errands.
My apologies for my absence and thank you again to everyone for their contributions.
Thought the Bent / Dawkins substitution made a great and immediate impact. With injured players coming back, and Charlie really beginning to zip, PL has a number of variable options available to him for perhaps the first time this season. And as we turn for the run-in, that’s a big help.
Next up Arsenal. I remember last season’s corresponding match at the Emirates where we surrendered before even walking onto the pitch. McLeish was delighted we only lost 3:0. It was a disgrace.
Let’s get in their faces from the off. Our team is capable of beating an inconsistent Gooners team that lacks bottle and plays Giroud as a threat. (He is better known in France for being the mannequin advertising hair gel!!). And Andreas – after that miss on Saturday, you owe us, big time.
What is it with all the Bowery comments?
Was I watching a different player? He played out on the right and worked hard.
Didn’t do much wrong, got the ball forwards, and otherwise was a cog in a machine.
Sure, he is no superstar but he does what he did effectively.
For me, I would stick with the same 4-3-3 as it offers some more “standard” structure to the team.
Like Southwest says we do see different things – funny how football can cause so many variations in what is or isn’t seen.
Ireland the latest to be banished to train with the kids, does he deserve such a punishment considering CNZ and Bent were just as ineffective as Ireland for a long time. Granted CNZ seems to be getting back to best now.
Does anyone know of a good place to analyse player performance? I miss the guardian chalkboards they were brilliant.
Matt, I remember Bowery losing possession about half a dozen times. That’s why i thought he looked out his depth. At least with Holman he’s also likely to pull one or two things off or have a decent shot from distance.
I think he’ll get better, especially if not played as a winger, but he looked below average from where i was sitting.
Talksport radio is my primary medium so not so well informed however with such a big match I’d bet on a top flight proven goalscorer over a kid who is yet to prove himself every time. I think this back 4 if kept together is our best bet unless Dunne returns and makes enough immediate impact. Our attacking players believe they can score goals and are enjoying their football and that bodes well for avfc! Guzan has proven he is one of the 10 best keepers in the prem. We will stay up…by a single point. Mark my words! UTV!
I, too, thought Bowery looked well out of his depth. To me, he seemed unsure and confused. Delph had his best game in ages and worked his socks off from what I could see. Anyway, 3 points in the bag although, after Westwood scored, I was wondering how many different ways Villa could come up with to lose points this season. That same situation could happen 1000 times and the ball would go nowhere near the net let alone in it. Can’t see for the life of me why Bent would start.
Anyhow, Just wasted 15 mins on the Prem Predictor. I went through it without updating until the end and I tried to be as honest as I could with the whole thing. Here is the result:
11 Newcastle 43
12 Sunderland 42
13 West Ham 39
14 Norwich 38
15 Aston Villa 38
16 Fulham 37
17 Reading 33
18 Southampton 32
19 Wigan 29
20 QPR 25
The big surprise is obviously Southampton. Wonder how accurate that table will be come May!
Just another quick thought: Is it really possible that just 36 points could keep us up this year!